Larry Nance, Jr. saw his entire NBA career flash before his eyes Friday night.
After the New Orleans Pelicans won their elimination Western Conference Play-In Game against the Sacramento Kings, it meant the No. 8 seeded team had a date with the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
At the postgame presser, Nance Jr. was asked what it felt like to be playing the No. 1 seed in the conference. While his choice of words probably would have gone unnoticed just a few years ago, he used a specific phrase that he would come to immediately regret given recent events.
“Respectfully, I’m just … I’m betting on the Pels,” Nance said before almost immediately backtracking and clarifying, much to the delight of the reporters in the room.
“I’m not betting. No Jontay Porter. I’m not betting. I’m not betting on anything. I don’t own a betting app, none of that!” Nance said emphatically.
Obviously, Nance didn’t mean to imply he was literally placing a bet on the Pelicans to beat the Thunder. But given the fact that Jontay Porter just received a lifetime ban for betting on NBA games, it is a very precarious time for NBA players and gambling (a position the NBA itself has put them in).
Game 1 between the Thunder and Pelicans tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, so get your bets in before then. Unless you’re Larry Nance, Jr., of course.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.